The Hindu : International : Years of militancy ahead, says Rumsfeld

Online edition of India's National Newspaper
Tuesday, Jun 28, 2005

International

International

Years of militancy ahead, says Rumsfeld

Rory Carroll

BAGHDAD: The U.S. Defence Secretary, Donald Rumsfeld, has warned that the militancy in Iraq could go on for another 12 years and admitted that the army has been in contact with some of its leaders in an attempt to quell the violence.

He spoke after militants launched coordinated suicide bomb attacks which killed at least 33 persons and wounded dozens more in the northern city of Mosul.

Mr. Rumsfeld said Iraqis, not U.S. troops, would eventually bring an end to attacks that have killed thousands of civilians and 1,730 American soldiers.

``The insurgency will be put down by the Iraqi people over time. It won't be won by the coalition forces. Foreigners don't defeat insurgencies.''

He warned that the fighting could last 12 years and that bloodshed could escalate in coming months during an expected referendum on a constitution and then an election. But the architect of the March 2003 invasion said Iraqi forces were becoming more proficient and faced a foe lacking the vision of guerilla campaigns in Vietnam and China.

``There's no Ho Chi Minh, there's no Mao, they are foreigners trying to impose their will against an elected government and they are going to lose it.''

Speaking to U.S.-based Fox News, Mr. Rumsfeld confirmed that American commanders had contacts with Iraqi elements of the resistance. ``Sure, my goodness, yeah. The first thing you want to do is split people off and get some people to be supportive." —

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